The present invention relates to a data handling system for use in a communications system, for example, a cellular telecommunications system, such as a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) system. The present invention also relates to a method of handling data for the data handling system.
In a communications system a mobile station (MS) possesses a quantity of information, for example, information relating to services available, link quality, interference levels, remaining cell capacity, information about the surrounding or local environment. However, this information may be of use to other mobile stations.
For example, a traveller owning the MS can be travelling along a motorway. Unbeknown to the traveller, a traffic jam may exist ahead of the traveller as a result of a road accident. Owners of the other mobile stations already forming part of or approaching the traffic jam are in possession of information indicative of the presence and location of the traffic jam. However, the owner of the MS is unable to detect the traffic jam and take action to avoid it.
A system already exists which is capable of warning the owner of the MS of the existence of traffic jams, but requires that the owner of the MS purchases additional hardware, which represents an increased cost to the subscriber.
Another example where the availability of more information to a subscriber would be beneficial is when a subscriber switches on the MS where more than one telecommunications system supports an area outside that of the MS""s local environment, for example at an airport. In such circumstances, the MS usually registers with the network currently exhibiting the greatest signal strength and takes no account of any other requirements that the subscriber might have, for example, service capabilities or call charge constraints.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to obviate, or at least mitigate, the above described problems.
According to the present invention, there is provided a data handling system comprising a terminal and a communications network, the terminal being capable of communicating with the communications network, the network comprising a host platform for receiving an agent associated with the terminal, the agent being adapted to communicate, at the platform, with the at least one other agent.
It is thus possible to provide a communications network having agent capabilities which, additionally, can facilitate a subscriber""s ability to detect traffic jams and identify a most suitable local communications network.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a method of handling data in a system comprising a terminal and a communications network, the terminal being capable of communicating with the communications network, the method comprising the steps of: providing a host platform for receiving an agent associated with the terminal, permitting, at the host platform, communication between the agent and at least one other agent.
Other, preferred, features and advantages will become apparent from the accompanying description and appended dependent claims.